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After emerging from the Naka River, Ryūsei first retrieved dry clothes from his spatial inventory and changed into them. He then donned a new set of black cloak and mask.
Forming hand seals, Ryūsei fully activated his Mind's Eye of the Kagura to locate his shadow clone.
At that moment, his shadow clone had already organized the genin from the contestant area, accepted an A-rank mission from Hatake Kakashi, and headed to the forest to support Uchiha Sasuke in pursuing Gaara and his siblings.
Ryūsei then activated his Red Eye's far-sight and x-ray vision, searching for a specific location.
After about ten minutes, Ryūsei left Konoha and finally found his destination beneath a cliff at a remote edge.
Using the Lightning Chakra Stimulation Method, Ryūsei moved at full speed.
By now, Konoha's ninjas had nearly finished escorting the villagers to the shelters.
According to Konoha's safety protocols, once the villagers were secured and there were no lingering concerns, the village would muster all its forces to swiftly eliminate the enemy.
This meant that Hiruzen's death was now on a countdown, and Ryūsei had to hurry to complete his objectives.
He needed to return and rendezvous with his shadow clone before the incident concluded, creating an airtight alibi.
Soon, Ryūsei arrived at his destination.
Before him stood an abandoned shrine, weathered by years of neglect and marked by the passage of time.
Before the Fourth Hokage's death, this place had been regularly maintained.
But after the deaths of the Fourth and his wife, no one had visited it since.
This shrine was known as the Uzumaki Clan's Mask Storage Temple!
It was a structure left behind by the Uzumaki clan in the Land of Fire during the Warring States period, before they established the Hidden Village on a distant island.
Entering the shrine, Ryūsei saw walls draped in cobwebs, adorned with numerous masks.
Each mask varied in shape and pattern, but all bore the visage of fanged demons.
With his Red Eye glowing, Ryūsei's unique crimson perspective scanned the rows of masks. He quickly noticed that some emitted distinct chakra fluctuations, clearly indicating they were "ninja tools" with special abilities.
Ryūsei removed these masks from the wall and immediately recognized one of them.
It was his target: the Death God Mask, used by Orochimaru in the original story to reclaim his arms' souls and release the souls of the previous Hokages.
While Ryūsei knew the function of the Death God Mask, he was unaware of the abilities of the other masks.
However, he was certain they were all related to the Uzumaki clan's sealing techniques.
Ryūsei stored the Death God Mask and the other masks in a storage scroll, then placed the scroll in his spatial inventory.
Emerging from the shrine, Ryūsei gazed at the clear sky, his heart brimming with exhilaration. He suddenly felt the urge to let out a triumphant roar.
Everything had gone too smoothly!
The things Ryūsei had long coveted were now in his possession, the success so seamless it felt as if fate itself were on his side.
But Ryūsei knew luck was only part of it. The real credit belonged to his diary, where he recorded the main storyline and key plot points, and to the meticulous planning he'd done over the past month.
Had he not encountered Black Hoe Thunder Fang and the Red Eye Bloodline Limit user during the return from his first C-rank mission, he wouldn't have targeted Haku.
Had he not acquired Ice Release and single-handed sealing from Haku, and confirmed through experiments that shadow clones could boost drop rates, Ryūsei wouldn't have conceived the audacious plan to obtain the Wood Release Bloodline Limit and craft an identity as a Senju descendant.
Had that spark of inspiration not struck earlier, recalling how Orochimaru resurrected the previous Hokages, Ryūsei wouldn't have come to seek the Death God Mask.
Now, everything was in place. All that remained was to use the Impure World Reincarnation to summon the previous Hokages, claim his status as their descendant, and request various forbidden techniques from Senju Tobirama, as well as the ultimate Wood Release technique—Sage Art: Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands—from Senju Hashirama.
Ryūsei already had a plan; it just needed refinement.
Zzzzt… zzzzt…
The sound of crackling electricity filled the air.
Combining Ninja Art: Lightning Armor with the Lightning Chakra Stimulation Method, Ryūsei transformed into a streak of blue-white lightning, racing back toward Konoha.
Along the way, he fully activated his Mind's Eye of the Kagura again and sensed that Konoha's ninjas had gathered their chakra.
Clearly, they had finished escorting the villagers to the shelters and were now uniting to repel the enemy.
Though Konoha was no longer the strongest ninja village, its foundation remained formidable.
The Hidden Sand Village, the weakest of the five great ninja villages in both strength and resources, hadn't committed their full forces and lacked a second kage-level ninja beyond the Fourth Kazekage.
When Konoha launched its full counterattack, with all the major clans joining the fray, the situation quickly turned one-sided against the Sand and Sound ninjas.
The mentor-student battle on the VIP platform's rooftop and the Jinchuriki clash between Naruto and Gaara were also nearing their conclusions.
When the genin went to support Uchiha Sasuke, they were ambushed by a large group of Sound ninjas, and Kankuro stayed behind to cover Temari and Gaara's retreat.
Thus, Ryūsei's shadow clone took charge, leading Team 8, Shikamaru, and Sakura to deal with the Sound ninjas and Kankuro, all while deliberately keeping a low profile.
From start to finish, Ryūsei had no intention of standing out during the Konoha Collapse Plan.
As Orochimaru had said, this event would set Konoha's long-stalled windmill spinning again.
Though Ryūsei knew Hiruzen was old and wouldn't fear him even if he revealed his Wood Release, instead likely receiving unprecedented attention and training, Ryūsei still wished for his death.
If Hiruzen didn't die, it would indirectly embolden Shimura Danzō to cause trouble.
Even if Hiruzen discovered Danzō's schemes, he'd likely only reprimand his old friend lightly.
After all, though Danzō had been stripped of his Hokage Advisor position, he still secretly trained Root ninjas.
If Hiruzen didn't die and Ryūsei brought Karin back to Konoha, Danzō—the king of taking the blame—would undoubtedly target her covertly.
Ryūsei didn't want to risk future regrets that even killing Danzō couldn't undo.
Only with Hiruzen's death and the advent of Tsunade's era, with Karin brought back by Tsunade, would Ryūsei feel at ease.
In the original story, Danzō only found opportunities to act after the Pain incident left Tsunade comatose.
In the three and a half years prior, his only move was placing Sai in the new Team 7.
This showed Tsunade's authority was formidable.
It made sense: Tsunade was brought back by Jiraiya, her longtime admirer who would unconditionally support her.
Opposing Tsunade meant opposing Konoha's major clans, Jiraiya, and the Fire Daimyo.
Without the Hokage Advisor title, Danzō lacked the clout to stir trouble.
Soon, Ryūsei neared his shadow clone's location.
Before swapping with it, he spotted two colossal beasts battling in the distance, whipping up a storm of wind and rain.
These were Shukaku, the One-Tail, unleashed by Gaara's Feigning Sleep Technique, and Gamabunta, the giant toad summoned by Naruto.
The two beasts clashed with Wind Release and Water Release, creating a tempest that shattered Sasuke's worldview.
In all his life, he had never seen such enormous creatures or techniques with such devastating power and range.
At that moment, Sasuke realized Naruto, the perennial underachiever, had surpassed him without him noticing.
The confidence and arrogance from mastering Chidori crumbled in an instant.
Just one more blow, and Sasuke would take his first step toward darkness.
Seeing this, Ryūsei knew the Konoha Collapse Plan was nearing its end.
With the aid of his Red Eye Illusion and Lightning Chakra Stimulation Method, Ryūsei swiftly swapped with his shadow clone.
By then, the Sound ninjas pursuing them and Kankuro, who had stayed to cover the retreat, had been defeated by Team 8 and Shikamaru under his shadow clone's command.
"Let's go. It looks like Naruto's fight is over."
Ryūsei led Hinata and the others, flickering toward Naruto and Sasuke's location.
Soon, they saw Naruto and Gaara collapsed on the ground, with Sasuke and Temari protecting them.
"Kankuro!"
Seeing Kankuro, unconscious and carried by Shino, Temari's expression shifted to shock.
Ryūsei glanced at the fallen Naruto, feigning ignorance. "That summoning beast earlier—was it Naruto's?"
"…Yeah."
Sasuke nodded, his expression complex.
"Looks like we won."
Ryūsei turned to Temari. "Will you surrender, or fight to the death?"
"We surrender."
Seeing Ryūsei and his group unscathed, Temari replied sensibly.
"A wise choice. Given your status, you're likely important figures in the Hidden Sand. This incident probably won't harm you, and we may meet again on the battlefield or in village diplomacy. I won't make things difficult for you."
Ryūsei formed a single-handed seal to create a shadow clone, instructing it to carry Gaara, who, though exhausted, wasn't unconscious—just stunned into silence by Naruto's resolve.
His real body warned Temari, "If you don't want trouble for your companions, follow us quietly and don't try anything."
"I understand."
Temari nodded obediently.
Thus, Ryūsei's group retraced their steps.
Sasuke hoisted Naruto onto his back and followed closely.
Gazing at Ryūsei's shadow clone carrying Gaara, with the sound of Naruto's unconscious breathing in his ears, Sasuke's eyes burned with frustration.
Once, only Ryūsei had been stronger than him, and the gap wasn't even that wide.
But now, at least three peers surpassed him.
Even the dead-last he'd always chased had unknowingly overtaken him!
How could someone as weak as him ever kill that man?
At that thought, the Cursed Seal of Heaven, sealed by the Evil-Sealing Method, suddenly radiated a scorching heat, causing a faint pain in Sasuke's neck.
Simultaneously, the intoxicating chakra from the Chunin Exams and the overpowering presence—stronger than Zabuza Momochi or Kakashi Hatake—flashed in Sasuke's mind.
If he followed that person, perhaps he could become stronger!
Ryūsei was unaware of Sasuke's thoughts, and even if he knew, he couldn't stop them.
Since the age of seven, Sasuke had lived solely for revenge.
To kill Uchiha Itachi, he was willing to pay any price.
By the time Ryūsei and the others returned to Konoha's central district, the Sand and Sound ninjas had either fled, died, or been captured.
"Seeing you all safe puts my mind at ease."
Ryūsei led Team 8 back to the square, reuniting with Kurenai, who was with Kakashi and Might Guy.
Seeing Ryūsei's group return, Kurenai breathed a sigh of relief.
Upon spotting the captured Gaara siblings, she smiled approvingly. "Well done. You've made a great contribution this time."
"Teacher Kurenai, is the war over?"
Ryūsei glanced at the VIP platform's rooftop. The purple barrier had vanished, replaced by numerous black-cloaked ANBU figures.
"Yes."
Kurenai nodded, her expression heavy. "The Hokage has fallen."
At this, Ryūsei, Shino, and the others visibly reacted with shock.
Of course, Ryūsei's "shock" deserved quotation marks.
Kurenai's words marked the end of Sarutobi Hiruzen's decades-long reign.
A new era was dawning!